Is A Cellular Apple Watch Worth The Extra $100?

One of the biggest leaps of the Apple Watch was when Apple introduced cellular connectivity. The first model to get this technology was the Apple Watch Series 3 and, since then, Apple continued to work to improve the feature so the watch's battery could last longer and the internet connection would get faster and more reliable with 4G and 5G upgrades. However, since users need to pay an extra $100 for the upgraded hardware and, most times, pay for a cellular plan for their watch, the cost can be a bit of a stretch for some. For others, the experience of being away from their phone but still reachable is well worth the price.

I've been wearing an Apple Watch with cellular connectivity since the beginning, so not only did I watch this technology grow over time, but I also know why so many people would rather save money and skip the feature altogether.

Truth be told, Apple only offers the no-cellular option on the Apple Watch SE and the aluminum Apple Watch model. So if the customer chooses a stainless steel or titanium Apple Watch, then it comes with cellular capabilities available. Still, if you're on a budget, going for the cellular-less SE model can be appealing. Here's what having an Apple Watch with cellular looks like with the pros, the cons, and what you should take into account when choosing your next Apple Watch model.

The greatest strength of owning a cellular Apple Watch is how nice it is to just go out with your watch and your AirPods and literally forget about the iPhone. I opt for this combo whenever I'm going to my local bakery shop, while grabbing some groceries, or for streaming music during a run. Even though I could, theoretically, just download some of my favorite tunes to play offline, it's always nice to be connected. Not only can I reach out to my friends and family members on FaceTime, but I can also text them on iMessage, and now even on WhatsApp.

Besides that, since the Apple Watch doesn't offer as many apps as the iPhone, it's also freeing that I'm not constantly checking social media apps and all the interactions I can have are pretty much related to texting and calling platforms.

With a cellular Apple Watch, I can also get access to Apple Maps with real-time navigation, so venturing to a new place on my run is no problem. If you have a cellular plan that includes a free eSIM for the Apple Watch, it may be an especially worthwhile investment to upgrade.

On the other hand, if you need to pay extra for your carrier to grant you access to cellular connectivity on the Apple Watch, then you may want to reconsider. After all, you'll be spending more money to get cellular on top of a monthly carrier fee to use the service. Besides that, Apple's smartwatch does do more with the iPhone around. For example, watchOS 11, watchOS 26, and watchOS 27 all have Apple Intelligence features that require the iPhone around.

If you need to call an Uber, access a social media app, or join a call on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and so on, you'll also need your phone around. As mentioned before, you can go for a run with your Apple Watch with already-downloaded songs, and that's more than alright. You can also use Apple Pay even without an active internet connection.

At the end of the day, choosing a cellular Apple Watch or not is all about whether your carrier offers it for free (or as a perk of your plan), and how much you could see yourself taking advantage of another internet point. For me, the cellular Apple Watch is a little extra that makes me forget about my iPhone during my workouts and small errands. It's not a killer feature, but I'm glad every time I don't have my iPhone around, I can still have access to important information on my watch.